Chris Williams On OU and OSU Football Season Openers, What To Expect This Season

Football fans in Oklahoma are gearing up for an exciting season with significant changes for the state's major teams.

The stakes are high as the University of Oklahoma makes its debut in the Southeastern Conference, and Oklahoma State University faces new opponents in the Big 12.

OU’s season will start with a game against Temple in Norman on Friday night. Temple, a team that finished 3-9 last year and is currently rebuilding, is expected to face a tough challenge against the Sooners.

“I hate to get too excited, but OU is favored by six touchdowns; they should be comfortable,” Williams said.

Williams said one player to watch is sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold, who will be taking a leadership role in OU’s offense this season.

In an interview with Williams, Arnold said he refers to a quote someone sent him to handle the pressure and high expectations.

“It is a quote from Kobe and it said, 'It's only pressure if you put it on yourself.' So, I mean, really just blocking it out, not putting pressure on yourself, and just staying levelheaded," Arnold said.

Williams said he thinks OU will do better in the SEC than people are expecting.

“They're a better football team than they were last year. It's just, they have tougher competition this year, so they'll have a few just that Williams said.

Meanwhile, OSU will start its season on Saturday against South Dakota State, a powerhouse that has won back-to-back national championships in 1-AA.

“They've won 29 straight games. They've knocked off 1A schools in the past. I mean, this is a real deal program,” Williams said.

Williams highlighted junior linebacker Nick Martin as a key player for OSU this season.

OSU Head Coach Mike Gundy said Martin is a relentless athlete who loves the sport.

“He doesn't care what happens to his body when he plays, in my opinion, to be a good football player. College football player, you have to disregard the health of your body to play the game and he's willing to and he's Gundy said.

In addition to this matchup, the Big 12 will welcome new teams this season, including Arizona schools, Utah, and Colorado, which OSU will take on.